General Motors said it will invest $5.4 billion in U.S. plants during the next three years.
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The automaker also said it will cut about 1,000 jobs at the Oshawa plant in Canada, where production of the Chevrolet Camaro will be discontinued on November 20, 2015.
Of the total investment of $5.4 billion in the U.S. plants, GM will invest $783.5 million to upgrade three Michigan facilities. The new investments in the U.S. plants by GM comes ahead of its negotiations with the UAW on a new labor agreement. The current labor contract expires in September.
The investments in Michigan plants include $124 million at the Pontiac Metal Center, $520 million for tooling and equipment for future new vehicle programs at the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant, and $139.5 million for a new body shop and stamping facility upgrades at pre-production operations in Warren.
GM noted that the investment at the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant will retain 1,900 jobs. The company will provide details of the remaining $4.6 billion investment and identify plants involved over the next several months.
Since June 2009, GM has announced U.S. facility investments of about $16.8 billion. About $11.4 billion of that has come since the 2011 UAW-GM National Agreement. GM noted that in total, these investments have created 3,650 new jobs and secured the positions of approximately 20,700 others.
In a separate statement, GM said that after November 20, 2015, the Oshawa plant in Ontario will continue to produce five vehicles and move to three shifts of production between its Flex and Consolidated Lines. The company will also begin a voluntary retirement canvass at the Oshawa plant to minimize employment impacts.
The Oshawa Assembly plant currently employs about 3,600 hourly workers, of which 2,100 are eligible for the retirement incentives. GM will determine the total number of retirements through the canvass process and implement it through the remainder of 2015.
The Oshawa plant makes six vehicles - the Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Camaro, Buick Regal and Cadillac XTS on its "Flex Line", currently on three shifts, as well as the Chevrolet Equinox and the Chevrolet Impala Limited on the "Consolidated Line", currently on one shift. ■
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